What are the pros and cons
of tidal energy?
Pros
- Constant and predictable energy production.
- Protection against shoreline flooding.
- Tidal energy equipment and installations can last much longer than other renewable energy technologies (more than 100 years¹).
Cons
- High cost of installation.
- May damage aquatic ecosystems.
- Energy production is limited to approximately 10 hours a day (storage required) and a maximum capacity of 25 to 50 megawatts².
- Equipment maintenance and repair can prove challenging.
Where does tidal energy come from?
As the tide rises and retreats, it turns the turbines.
The generator turns on and produces an alternating electric current.
The transformer raises the tension in the electric current to carry it through the system’s power lines.
Interesting information
A planned tidal power plant could supply 82,000 homes with carbon-free electricity by 2027.
Interesting fact
Tidal turbine
The very first tidal turbine in North America was installed in 2016 in the Bay of Fundy, in Nova Scotia, Canada. The turbine, as high as a five-storey building, can supply approximately 500 homes³.
Sources :
¹ https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/fiche-pedagogique/energie-maremotrice
² https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/energie-maremotrice
³ https://www.lapresse.ca/environnement/dossiers/energies-vertes/201611/23/01-5044309-la-premiere-turbine-maremotrice-en-amerique-du-nord-installee-dans-la-baie-de-fundy.php
